Using a fixed network wireless data collection system to improve utility responsiveness to power outages

• US 20060217936A1
• Filed: 09/27/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elster Electricity LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Elster Electricity LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Shuey, Kenneth J., Borleske, Andrew J., Mason, Robert T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,308,370 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/45 Utility meters networked together within a single building
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

A system for determining a service outages and restorations that includes an outage management server (OMS) that generates reports outages and restoration information for metering endpoints. The outages may be caused by faults at various locations in the distribution network. The metering endpoint may include a transmitter having a battery backup that transmits the outage information upon a failure to detect a voltage at the endpoint. The transmission of the information may be filtered based on configurable criteria. The metering endpoints may also inform the OMS when power is restored. Thus, a utility may better service its customers by focusing manpower efforts using the outage and restoration information generated by the OMS.

Claims

1. A system for determining outage and restoration information for meters operating within a fixed wireless metering network, comprising:

a network configuration server that determines a network state; and

an outage management system that determines outage conditions and power restoration conditions to determine meters affected by said outage conditions and power restoration conditions.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a collector; and

metering points,

wherein said metering points collect and forward said outage information to said collector.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said collector and said metering points perform filtering of said outage information.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein filtering comprises at least one of:

configurable delays at said metering points prior to transmitting an outage message, configurable delays at said metering points prior to transmitting a restoration message, configurable options in said collector that allow data to be aggregated prior to a communicating with said outage management system, and configurable options in said collector that allow communications to be suppressed during a large-scale outage.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein said metering points select a random transmit slot within a predetermined transmission periods.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein said metering points and said collector are adapted to verify a presence of power by measuring a voltage.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein a subset of affected metering points are identified, and wherein said subset of affected metering points are assigned to a corresponding subset of collectors for verification of power outage or power restoration.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein said collector is adapted to ping said metering points to determine an extent of the outage, wherein said ping comprises one of:

a ping each metering point directly, a ping of metering points in a communication path to determine if said communication path is available, and a ping of metering points farthest from said collector first in an attempt to validate all metering points in the communication path with one message.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein said collector communicates power restoration information to said outage management system and wherein said collector receives power restoration information for said metering points.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said fixed wireless network comprises a mesh

network that enables said meters to change communication paths.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a collector; and

metering points,

wherein said collector periodically communicates with said metering points to establish a communication performance rate.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said collector sets a “

potential outage”

indication after a successive number of communication failures to a given metering point.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the number of successive failures required to set a “

potential outage”

flag is determined based on the established communication performance rate between the collector and the meter.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising forwarding outage and restoration communications from metering points associated with said locations to said communication nodes.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising filtering said outage information to configure:

delays in transmitting an outage message, delays prior to transmitting a restoration message, options that allow data to be aggregated prior to a communicating with an outage management system, and options that allow communications to be suppressed during a large-scale outage.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

identifying a subset of affected metering points; and

assigning a subset of communications nodes to verify power outage conditions or power restoration conditions.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising pinging said metering points to determine an extent of the outage.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising superimposing a Geographic Information System (GIS) overlay over a distribution network topology to provide additional information regarding said outage conditions.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising filtering said information regarding said power outage conditions or said power restoration conditions at a collector provided in said fixed wireless network, said filtering providing for at least delays in communicating and aggregation of said information.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising pinging said metering points to determine the extent of said outage conditions.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising superimposing a Geographic Information System (GIS) overlay over said distribution network topology to provide additional information regarding said outage conditions.

14. A method for determining outage and restoration information for meters operating within a fixed wireless metering network, comprising:

maintaining a network state;

receiving outage and restoration communications from communication nodes in said fixed wireless network; and

determining locations affected by said outage conditions and power restoration conditions.

20. A method of determining power outage conditions and power restoration conditions in an electrical distribution network having metering endpoints that communicate via a fixed wireless network, comprising:

determining the existence of said power outage conditions or said power restoration conditions at said metering endpoints;

forwarding information regarding said power outage conditions or said power restoration conditions to a network management server via said fixed wireless network; and

notifying an outage management system regarding said power outage conditions or said power restoration conditions.